Which Descript alternative has text-based editing?

Riverside and Adobe Premiere Pro both offer text-based editing similar to Descript. Riverside at $19/month is more affordable and podcast-focused, while Adobe Premiere Pro at $22.99/month provides professional-grade features. CapCut also recently added text-based editing on its free tier.

Is there a cheaper alternative to Descript for podcasters?

Riverside at $19/month vs Descript at $12/month is actually more expensive. For budget-conscious podcasters, Audacity (free) handles audio editing but lacks transcription. Otter.ai at $8.33/month provides transcription only. For all-in-one podcast editing with transcription, Descript remains the most affordable option.

Which alternative is best for professional video editing?

Adobe Premiere Pro is the industry standard for professional video editing with advanced color grading, effects, and multi-track capabilities. At $22.99/month, it is more expensive than Descript but offers significantly more advanced features for complex video production work.

Can any alternative do filler word removal like Descript?

Adobe Premiere Pro offers filler word removal through its text-based editing features. Some newer tools like CapCut are adding this capability. However, Descript is AI-powered filler word removal remains the most seamless and accurate implementation in the market.

Descript Alternative: Best 7 Text-Based Video Editing Tools for 2026

Riverside, Adobe Premiere Pro, and Otter.ai work as Descript alternatives with different strengths. Riverside offers text-based editing with 4K recording and automatic transcription at $19/month. Adobe Premiere Pro provides professional-grade editing with AI-powered text-based workflows and advanced features. Otter.ai delivers accurate transcription with speaker identification at $8.33/month but focuses on transcription over video editing.

Updated: 2025-11-09•13 min read

Detailed Tool Reviews

Riverside

★4.7

Riverside combines 4K video/audio recording with text-based editing and automatic transcription, making it the best Descript alternative for podcasters and video creators who need recording and editing in one platform.

Key Features:

✓4K video and audio recording
✓Text-based editing
✓Automatic transcription in 100+ languages
✓Local recording for quality
✓Multi-track editing
✓Live streaming capability

Pricing:

Standard at $19/month, Pro at $29/month

Pros:

+ All-in-one recording and editing
+ Superior audio quality with local recording
+ Text-based editing like Descript
+ Great for remote interviews

Cons:

- More expensive than Descript
- Less advanced editing features
- Focused on podcast/interview format

Best For:

Podcasters and video creators who need both recording and text-based editing for remote interviews and conversations in one platform

Try Riverside →

Adobe Premiere Pro

★4.8

Adobe Premiere Pro offers professional-grade video editing with AI-powered text-based workflows, advanced color grading, and industry-standard tools for serious video professionals.

Key Features:

✓Text-based editing with AI
✓Professional color grading
✓Advanced audio editing
✓Multi-camera editing
✓Motion graphics templates
✓Adobe integration ecosystem

Pricing:

Single App at $22.99/month, All Apps at $54.99/month

Pros:

+ Industry standard for professionals
+ Most advanced editing features
+ Excellent for complex projects
+ Seamless Adobe Creative Cloud integration

Cons:

- Significantly more expensive
- Steep learning curve
- Overkill for simple podcast editing

Best For:

Professional video editors and production teams who need advanced features, color grading, and complex multi-track editing capabilities

Try Adobe Premiere Pro →

Otter.ai

★4.6

Otter.ai provides accurate transcription with speaker identification and live transcription, making it the best Descript alternative if you primarily need transcription rather than video editing.

Key Features:

✓Real-time transcription
✓Speaker identification
✓Meeting summary generation
✓Vocabulary customization
✓Integration with Zoom/Teams
✓Collaborative editing

Pricing:

Basic free tier, Pro at $8.33/month, Business at $20/month

Pros:

+ Most affordable option at $8.33/month
+ Excellent transcription accuracy
+ Great for meetings and interviews
+ Generous free tier

Cons:

- No video editing capabilities
- Limited to transcription use case
- Not suitable for content creation

Best For:

Professionals who primarily need accurate meeting transcription and note-taking rather than video editing or content creation

Try Otter.ai →

Frequently Asked Questions

Otter.ai offers the best free Descript alternative for transcription with 300 monthly minutes on the free tier. For video editing, DaVinci Resolve provides professional-grade editing at no cost, though it lacks text-based editing. However, neither fully replaces Descript is unique text-based video editing workflow.

Choose Your Descript Alternative

Choose Riverside at $19/month if you need all-in-one recording and text-based editing for podcasts and remote interviews. Choose Adobe Premiere Pro at $22.99/month for professional video production with advanced features and industry-standard workflows. Choose Otter.ai at $8.33/month if you primarily need accurate transcription and meeting notes rather than video editing. For most content creators, Descript remains the best value at $12/month with its unique text-based editing workflow. However, if you need professional color grading (Premiere) or recording capabilities (Riverside), these alternatives excel in their specialized areas.

Explore All Video Editing Tools →

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